JACKSON, Miss. - Proving to be a significant addition to Paul Deaton's roster once again, Berry's Tucker Wright paced a field of 124 and claimed second place in a multi division event while leading the Vikings to an overall second place finish on Saturday morning at the Belhaven Invitational in Jackson, Miss.
In his short time as a Viking, Wright, the reigning Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Athlete of the Week, has been a driving force for the Berry men's cross country team. In the first three meets in a Berry jersey, the transfer has not achieved an individual placement lower than second place. Additionally, the young sophomore has set a new personal record every weekend, and despite the humid Mississippi air, this morning was no different.
Posting a low score to start Berry's tally, Wright crossed the finish line in a quick 25:07.15, beating his personal record by nearly 20 seconds. The Rome native fell short of a first-place title by 14 seconds. The champion of the meet represents West Florida University, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II program.
Ethan Smith, the quintessence of consistency, not only garnered a fourth-place finish, but he also earned a personal breakthrough that has been over a year in the making. The junior was the second Viking to join Wright at the finish, and with a time of 25:32.14, Smith blew past his personal best, a milestone that has eluded him since Sept. 2023.
With three countable scores left to be claimed for the Vikings, Troy Blackwood sprinted to the finish for a commendable 14th place. The Senoia native found a new gear in the last two kilometers of the race, beating an Oglethorpe runner that was neck and neck with him for the entirety of the course by over 15 seconds.
In 18th place, Brooks Johnson was the fourth slotted score for Berry, finishing the eight-kilometer dash in 26:41.67. T Harris was less than half a second behind his teammate, claiming 19th place with a personal record time of 26:42.02.
Collectively, the Vikings finished the morning with a team score of 51 for second place. Mississippi College, an NCAA Division II program, achieved first place with a score of 45. Berry topped a field consisting of all NCAA divisions, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic (NAIA) programs, and one junior college.
Among their competitors were in conference foes Oglethorpe and Hendrix. Oglethorpe put up a commendable fight, placing in third with a score of 64. Hendrix College finished in ninth out of a field of 11, collecting 234 points on the morning.
The Vikings will have two weeks to rest before traveling to Illinois for the annual Augustana Inter-Regional. The gun will go off at 11:00 a.m. EST.
